Breaking Industry Norms: Why Community-First Cannabis Businesses Win in Challenging Times

As the cannabis industry faces significant headwinds entering 2025, with major MSOs announcing layoffs and restructuring, a different story is emerging among community-focused operators. While large corporations struggle to maintain growth at scale, smaller, community-oriented businesses are demonstrating remarkable resilience.

“We stay humble,” explains Payton Shubrick, CEO of Springfield’s 6 Bricks Dispensary. “We understand that at the end of the day, customers have a choice, and every day that they choose us, it is important that we put our best foot forward.” This philosophy, shared by successful independent operators, stands in stark contrast to the volume-driven approaches that have led many larger operations to recent cutbacks.

The current market challenges are revealing a fundamental truth: sustainable success in cannabis isn’t just about scale—it’s about creating genuine value for your community. While major operators are reducing workforces and consolidating operations, community-focused businesses are maintaining stability through strong local relationships and authentic engagement.

“When you’re in a larger entity,” Shubrick notes, “sometimes leaders lose the reality because we focus on price or we focus on TAC. It doesn’t make up for the way that somebody feels when shopping with you, and that feeling you really can’t put a price on.”

This insight is particularly relevant as the industry navigates current economic pressures. While larger operations often focus on efficiency and standardization, smaller operators like 6 Bricks and Aruna are finding strength in flexibility and authentic community connections.

“The reality of the situation when you look at cannabis is that we were not embraced—we were tolerated,” Shubrick observes. This understanding has led successful independent operators to build businesses differently, focusing on genuine community integration rather than rapid expansion.

The success of this approach is evident in the stability these businesses maintain even as larger operators struggle. By building deep community roots and maintaining authentic relationships with customers, these businesses create resilience that goes beyond balance sheets.

Key elements of this community-first approach include:

• Authentic local engagement rather than standardized corporate programs
• Employee development focused on community connection
• Flexible, community-responsive operations
• Sustainable, long-term growth strategies
• Genuine commitment to local economic development

For businesses facing current industry challenges, the message is clear: authentic community engagement isn’t just about doing good—it’s about building sustainable businesses that can weather industry turbulence.

As we move forward in 2025, the contrast between community-focused operators and larger corporate entities offers important lessons for the industry’s future. Success in cannabis retail isn’t just about size or scale—it’s about creating genuine value for your community and building relationships that endure through challenging times.

*Watch the full interview with Payton Shubrick and Harsh Patel HERE